Wow! So much good readings and beautiful pics.
What warms my heart after two days of being knocked down in bed with flu like symptoms is the warmth, kindness, respect, admiration these two men seem to have for each other. As I posted on a previous thread it seems as if they could hardly wait to meet each other.and PBO’s gift is spiritual to the utmost. Planting “good seeds” is alway a blessing.

I think this connection was a setup long before we could imagine because the so-called religious haters are being exposed even more. How could you not give both of these men some credit due for trying to right the wrong. I am not religious but very spiritual and I feel this meeting is divinely in decency and order. I am not Catholic but I appreciate this Pope’s heart for the poor. I am glad they met.

And I hope when he visits in 2015 the cesspool of Republicans will be long gone, Chuck Todd. Ed Henry, Sara Palin et all have all moved to Russia with Snowden and GG.
That is my prayer for today.
Thank you, Ms. Chips, NW and everyone for keeping us well informed on our President and First Lady trips abroad.
I never thought that I would get teary eyed of a US President meeting the Pope.
It must be love….

The Republican-led House abruptly and unexpectedly passed a Medicare physician payment fix Thursday by an unrecorded voice vote, amid questions about whether the bill had the votes to clear the chamber.

It would avert a 24 percent pay cut to doctors that was set to take effect April 1.

After temporarily recessing the House, GOP leaders emerged from a closed-door meeting and called up the bill for a voice vote. A recorded vote can be demanded by one-fifth of members present in the chamber, but such an objection wasn’t mounted. So the bill was subsequently declared passed.

President Vladimir Putin overplayed his hand when he invaded Crimea. This unprovoked and illegal aggression was a throwback to the Soviet combination of megalomania and inferiority complex. It was reminiscent of the Kremlin’s decision in December 1979 to invade Afghanistan, which in hindsight marked the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union.

Putin has demolished the post-Cold War order in an attempt to serve his own political interests. But Russia will suffer from his shortsighted blitzkrieg.

According to Russian opinion polls, Putin’s popularity has skyrocketed in the wake of his military Anschluss of Crimea. This is common when a war breaks out. But as the Levada Center pointed out, the surging popularity of Russia’s 2008 war in Georgia lasted a mere three months. In the end, wars are rarely popular.

Ukraine’s democratic breakthrough and criticism of kleptocrats presented a challenge to Putin’s authoritarian kleptocracy. Presumably, Putin’s response is drawing on the oft-quoted 1904 statement by the tsarist Interior Minister Vyacheslav von Plehve, “What this country needs is a short, victorious war to stem the tide of revolution.” But Plehve’s words led to the Russo-Japanese War, which unleashed the revolution of 1905. It is unlikely that Putin will be more successful.

The first victim of war is truth. In attempting to justify his Anschluss of Crimea, Putin and his aggressive propagandists have become lost in a Soviet-style sea of lies. They have lost all credibility. The US State Department even issued a statement with 10 false statements made by Putin.

Naming a chocolate cake after US President Barack Obama has helped a small bakery in Salento, a region in southern Italy with acute unemployment, defy the economic crisis. The move has been described as “cunning marketing”. The marketing mix has been so successful that baker Angelo Bisconti is marking US Independence Day, July 4th, with the opening of a new factory on Thursday evening in his town of Campi Salentina, where ten new staff will produce more ‘pasticciotto Obama’, a type of pudding.

“Over the last five years, this cake has really helped business grow so much,” Bisconti told The Local by phone on Thursday, as he geared up for the evening’s festivities, which include the unveiling of a marble statue of President Obama in the square opposite his Pasticceria Chèri shop. To top the occasion, the square will also be temporarily named after the sitting US president.

In an interview with The Local last year, Angelo Bisconti, a staunch fan of Obama, said the special cake, named ‘pasticciotto Obama’, a type of pudding, was his way of honouring America’s first black president. From 7am on Thursday, he will give away 5,000 cakes from a food stall on Rome’s Via Veneto, close to the US Embassy, as a “symbol of welcome to the president”, he told the news website, Resto Al Sud. “I know it will be difficult to realise my dream of meeting him, but I’ll still be there,” he added.

“I owe respect to a person who changed my life, and to whom I owe my professional luck.”

Bisconti’s Salento-base bakery, Pasticceria Chèri, has thrived since it started producing the special cake in early 2009. The success was marked with the opening of a factory in his town of Campi Salentina on July 4th, American Independence Day, last year, where a team of 10 now produces 15,000 cakes a day….”

I think this is very generous and very fitting tribute, as it reflects not only how much PBO is admired and loved around the world, but that the baker recognizes how he has benefitted just from the name Obama. Certainly giving away 5,000 cakes is a costly venture, but he generates the goodwill which our President generates everywhere he goes. Meta, I think there is a recipe here, maybe you could make them?!

😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 Hey TOD folks! Y’all remember the parents collective that I’ve been pushing? Well, one of our co-founders also works with an Asian organization. She is being honored on Monday AT THE WHITE HOUSE on Monday, March 31 as one of the Cesar E. Chavez “Champions of Change!” They mentioned our “Parents United” group in her write-up. We are BEYOND proud!!! 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆

WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, March 31st, the White House will honor 10 community leaders who embody the spirit of Cesar E. Chavez’ legacy. Each of the Cesar Chavez Champions of Change have committed themselves to improving the lives of others in their communities and across the country. At the core, all of our honorees represent the values and steadfast determination of Cesar Chavez to organize ourselves for a more just tomorrow.

Helen Gym, Board Member, Asian Americans United
Philadelphia, PA

Helen Gym is a community and education leader whose work across different organizations supports the right to a quality public education for all children. A former school teacher and journalist, she leads the board of Asian Americans United, a 28-year old organization serving Philadelphia’s diverse Asian American and immigrant communities. At AAU, she has organized against predatory gambling and led a campaign to address human rights issues in immigration and deportation practices. She helped found a Chinatown-based
charter school serving many immigrant families and anchored a successful federal civil rights case focused on the responsibility of adults to create safe school environments free from bias and harassment. She is a co-founder of Parents United for Public Education, a citywide parent group that has successfully advocated for millions of dollars in new revenue for Philadelphia public schools. She is a frequent writer and contributor in local media circles; helped establish the city’s independent education newspaper, the Philadelphia Public School Notebook, as its first full-time editor; and is currently on the editorial board of Rethinking Schools, a social justice teaching journal.

Okay. Here I go again…..teary eyed. It is not the flu for sure. I am feeling much better, now. After reading this I want to go to Italy and visit this place.
And MSM have the audacity to report that our President ‘s trip was for declining popularity?
This humble man makes a cake in honor of OUR President and business is booming!
Hate is showing all over and it is ugly.

A crowded conference, where several journalists have had to adjust to the sides of the hall for lack of seats. “For us it is not only the president of the United States but a source of inspiration: Obama’s visit is not just a symbolic gesture, but an encouragement,” debuted Renzi, explaining: “I believe that today’s dialogue confirms also that of respond to the crises that our world confronts us, the role of the United States and Europe is to be a point of reference. ” Renzi thanked Obama for what he said in Brussels, “because the great challenge that launched the relationship between the U.S. and Europe is important. I believe that Europe should be the place where the returns policy to give hope to the people, we can do it but only if Italy will do its part, “he recalled Renzi. “We want to change Italy because we are convinced that if we change we will change the Europe and Italy will maintain a solid relationship with the United States.”

Renzi took the opportunity to advertise the Expo in Milan, which “will be an important event for Italy in the world.” “Yes we can also applies to us,” said the premier. It reaffirmed the strong relationship between Italy and the United States: “Our cooperation and partnerships range from major international issues to everyday life,” said Renzi at Villa Madama.

Seeing these wonderful! pictures of President Obama in Rome brings back many wonderful memories. If you visit only one place outside the U.S……visit Rome. It is truly the Eternal City. The Romans have a saying about their city….Non basta una vida: One life is not enough. That is so true.
My husband and I visited the Colosseum in a January, with a student at my college who lives in Rome, and the place was empty except for us and one or two others. Ruben, the student, gave us a wonderful personal tour and that will live in me forever
.
Someone earlier mentioned good looking people, and that is so true. I’ve never seen so many good looking, well dressed people, as I did in Rome and Florence. The art is beyond anything, but the human art is amazing too.

I am thrilled with the new Prime Minister, and his youth. YES…..Italy is looking for someone like him. Berlusconi was the worst of the old guard.
Italians LOVE president Obama…..they did not like GWB at all, and knew that the Iraq War should not happen. Berlusconi supported it, but the people did not.

As you can tell…..I love Italy, and did you know, that Italy allowed women in medical school hundreds of years ago? England and France did not, but women attended medical schools in Italy….Bravissima!

Maria Montessori was the first woman student allowed into an Italian medical school. She already had achieved a doctoral degree in Mathematics, and fought hard to be allowed entrance to medical studies. The male students were so chagrined at her presence, they would not permit her presence in the autopsy labs during the day. Dr. Montessori solved this problem by hiring someone to accompany her into the morgue at night and smoke cigarettes to eliminate some of the smells of the decaying flesh.

Roman guides are some of the best in the world. They have to study and take exams before they are allowed to be guides. They take exams and are licensed, and are worth the money to hire. Rome is so complex, and just so MUCH, that guides are a good investment.

Chips & NW … I just received an email from Jim Messina and the subject line is “This is some sick crap”!!!!

And, he’s correct:

“This should humiliate anyone who’s ever been associated with the Koch brothers.

One of their anti-Obamacare groups is going to college campuses, giving away free booze to try to bribe young folks out of getting health insurance.

Let them spend their millions on sick crap like that. Whether they like it or not, they’re losing this debate, all because of the work you’re doing. We’re the group that’s capable of putting these groups in their place.”

Questions and Answers: Russia, Ukraine, and International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law

Just a few excerpts:

“1. When did the law on occupation apply to the Russian presence in Ukraine?

Under the 1949 Geneva Conventions, territory is considered “occupied” when it comes under the control or authority of foreign armed forces, whether partially or entirely, without the consent of the domestic government. This is a factual determination, and the reasons or motives that lead to the occupation or are the basis for continued occupation are irrelevant. Even if the foreign armed forces meet no armed resistance and there is no fighting, once territory comes under the effective control of the foreign armed forces, the laws on occupation are applicable.

Therefore, wherever Russian forces exercise effective control of an area on Ukrainian territory, such as Crimea, for the purposes of international humanitarian law (the laws of war) it is an occupying power and must adhere to its obligations as such. Russia’s denials that its troops are in Crimea have no legal effect if the facts on the ground demonstrate otherwise.

2. Does applying occupation law to Russia affect the status of the territory that Russia occupies?

Applying the law of occupation, or determining Russia to be an occupying power for the purposes of international humanitarian law, does not in any way affect the sovereignty of the territory. Sovereignty is not transferred to the occupying power.

Local authorities organized the March 16 referendum in Crimea without the authorization of the Ukrainian government and the referendum has not received broad-based endorsement by other countries. It cannot be considered a transfer of sovereignty that would end the state of belligerent occupation.

3.What law relating to occupation is binding on Russia and Ukraine?

While much of occupation law is also a matter of customary humanitarian law, the primary treaty sources of the modern law of occupation are the Hague Regulations of 1907 (Hague), the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 (Geneva IV), and certain provisions of the First Protocol of 1977 Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, to which Russia and Ukraine are party.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in its Commentary to the Fourth Geneva Convention notes that the obligations of the convention begin as soon as there is contact between the civilian population of a territory and troops advancing into that territory; that is, at the soonest possible moment. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, protected persons are all those who find themselves in the hands of a party to the conflict or an occupying power of which they are not nationals. While all of the duties imposed on an occupying power may not become applicable immediately (some presuppose the presence of the occupation authorities for a fairly long period), the entirety of the provisions relating to the rights enjoyed by protected persons and their treatment become applicable immediately.

In addition to the rules found in international humanitarian law, the occupying power must respect international human rights law and national law, subject to certain exceptions. With respect to human rights law, limitations on certain rights are permitted if they are “strictly required by the exigencies of the situation,” but any limitations must still respect the standards in international humanitarian law.”

clip

12. Do international human rights bodies such as the European Court of Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Committee still have jurisdiction over the situation in Crimea?

These bodies retain jurisdiction over Crimea and may be called upon to adjudicate or issue opinions on whether violations of relevant treaties have been committed by Ukrainian or Russian authorities. Ukraine has already filed a case against Russia for actions in Crimea with the European Court of Human Rights, alleging violations of the European Convention on Human Rights. Upon receiving the case, the European Court,expressing “a view to preventing such violations,” called upon both Ukraine and Russia “to refrain from taking any measures, in particular military actions, which might entail breaches of the Convention rights of the civilian population, including putting their life and health at risk, and to comply with their engagements under the Convention, notably in respect of Articles 2 (right to life) and 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment).” Both countries were ordered to inform the court as soon as possible of the measures taken to ensure full compliance with the Convention.

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME…MANY HAVE HIDDEN BEHIND THE NAME OF GOD BUT DO NOT CARRY HIM IN THEIR HEARTS…WHAT THEY FAIL TO REALIZE IS THAT GOD KNOWS THE HEART…EVERY SINGLE CHAMBER AND NOTHING CAN BE HIDDEN,ABSOLUTELY NOTHING CAN BE HIDDEN FROM HIM. MANY HAVE KILLED IN HIS NAME AND GOD’S JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL IN THE END…THOSE SCALES SHALL BE BALANCED!

Hello, back at hotel. I’m allowed a message to let you know I’m okay. Surgery wasn’t painful at all. Now the hard part, no more reading or writing for a few weeks. Will find that out tomorrow morning, then back home. My chin must be touching my chest for awhile so I look at floor. I should get my sight back , but might not be as good. Retina detached at central nerve to brain. But I’m hopeful. I won’t be able to your posts. Hubby is hiding it. 😉 will miss you . Missing the beautiful First Family too.

CarolMae, I have two friends who had this kind of surgery. Your restrictions are what they told me they had. However, the surgery worked, and saved their sight. I will certainly be thinking about you and praying for good recovery. They said the hardest part was being patient. But they followed doctor’s orders and did well.

Thanks for the update CarolMae and glad to hear that the surgery went along smoothly! I hope are able to recover much of your lost sight and we hope to see you back here posting and reading and tweeting those awesome photos of nature’s scenery, but meanwhile take good care and we will miss you!!!

Thank you for the follow up of your surgery; so glad to hear that you’re doing well. Please follow your doctor’s orders and you will be back in no time. Sending positive thoughts and prayers for your full recovery.

Carol, I’m very thankful you are at the other end of the surgery and are starting the recovery. No matter how inconvenient, please stick to the regime so that you can get better. Wishing you all the strength and blessings in the world to get you through the next few weeks.

Jackiegrumbacher, I hope you will not mind if I break in here to leave CarolMae a note since her hubby may not feel like reading all the way to the end. {{{{{{{{{{TY, my dearest jackieG.

CarolMae, grateful to hear from you. I have placed a pair of eye glasses next to my favorite rose from my rose tree, a lovely soft peach color along with one of my Warm Vanilla Sugar candles and everytime I give forth a word or prayer for your sweet recover and complete healing that is the space where I will place gentle loving goodness for you. I am a very visual person in my prayer and meditational times; so I try to create something that is meaningful to me and the person that I am thinking and praying for in my space. I will not forget one day to place that goodness prayer in this space for you, CarolMae. Please follow your doctor’s instruction and rest. {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ Lots of loving hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}HZ

I find this article quite interesting. I said it earlier this year and I’ll repeat it today. Some may disagree with me but MSNBC has an identity problem. They’re not FOX per se and they don’t apparently do a lot of breaking news ad nauseam like CNN so they are somewhere in between these two. Until they figure out that in order to be successful you can’t be a quasi left-leaning station. You either are or you aren’t. Get rid of Morning Joe and go completely left. They will get the President’s supporters viewership in droves. Instead they do this Morning Joke mess followed by Chuck Todd and then they try to go straight down the middle but with opinion pundits until the afternoon where you have leftist that mostly think it’s their job to hold the President’s feet to the fire until the so-called evening pundits come on who are suppose to be completely progressive. Talk about dysfunctional. That station is a hot mess.

Go hard left and they might just get close to the same viewership that Fox gets IMO.

Pew Report Finds MSNBC Hemorrhaging Viewers and Revenue

{Snip}

The Pew Research Center’s annual report on the state of the media in 2013 revealed that, while all three major cable news networks lost viewers in 2013, MSNBC has been especially hard hit.

Last year, MSNBC’s viewership and revenues declined relative to their competitors. While MSNBC continued to have an average viewership slightly stronger than its nearest competitor, CNN, MSNBC was projected to have brought in $475 million – less than half what CNN took in and approximately one quarter of Fox News Channel’s revenues.

Donna I agree with you completely! And this is why many otherwise left-leaning voters (myself including) simply have stopped watching MSNBC – We just can’t deal with this bullshit and game-playing. MSNBC is owned and operated by conservatives – who have realized that there is money to be made by providing a viewership niche market for liberals. So they have this contradictory line-up, and even when they pretend to go “left” they spend an inordinate amount of time and energy criticizing/attacking the President from the so-called left (as you said, “holding his feet to the fire”) and not really dwelling on the issues themselves. And on top of that they try to blame their relatively low viewership on their being a “liberal” station which they aren’t, or people being disillusioned with PBO, which they are not.

I don’t think they have to be left or right. What they need to do is act like a news network and just report the facts. If someone comes on with a set of bogus talking points call them on it regardless of what side of the aisle they’re on. That alone imo would put them head and shoulders above the other networks.

I always felt that “just the facts” news should be relegated to network news (ABC, CBS and NBC). The whole point of cable is to give opinion news. Well, what opinion does MSNBC hold? I certainly can’t tell from one hour to the next on that station.

My local FOX station here in DC is great. They give factual news about our area. FOX News on cable is for opinion, punditry with a pretense of news thrown in for good measure. The model works over there so I don’t understand why this is so complicated for MSNBC to see.

I like your take, DerB, because I do believe that’s the crux of the matter. If they, or any other news group, act like a news network really should, reporting facts and providing nuanced discussion of same, I’d bet that intelligent Republicans (there have got to be a few), as well as liberals would tune in. What we all desperately need is to be able to feel some confidence, and ultimately respect, that the news we hear is as reported. Then we can draw our own conclusions.

It wasn’t too long ago that MSNBC did hard news, and covered the President completely when he traveled. Just as far back as 2011….when he and FLOTIS went to England, MSNBC did a marvelous job of covering everything…..from greetings, to dinners, to visits to Westminster Abbey, and the ENTIRE event and speech at Westminster Hall! With no snarky commentary. They did a great job. If they would do that kind of work, I think they would once again do well. However, didn’t Comcast buy them some time after April 2011?

By the way, another important foreign policy speech to add to PBO’s list of great speeches, was his speech at Westminster in 2011. This year, if I remember, was the year William and Catherine got married, and ABC and CNN spent All their time on the wedding, positively swooning over it. MSNBC covered the hard and important news that year.

Just to add…..I know Keith Olbermann somewhat controversial, and has a HUGE ego, but after MSNBC fired Keith, they have steadily gone downhill. He knew what hard news was, and knew what was commentary,and when each was appropriate.

“1617 GMT: Aslund replies to Slaughter. Russia expert and international economist Anders Aslund has taken strong exception to a column published today in the Washington Post and written by New America Foundation president Anne-Marie Slaughter. In her piece, Slaughter argues that the West will only exacerbate tensions with Vladimir Putin by taking a tough line on his annexation of Crimea. “More broadly,” she writes, “the United States would do well to tone down its sanctimony. Putin’s annexation of Crimea violated international law. But so did the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the NATO intervention to protect Kosovo, even if the latter was, to many, including me, a legitimate violation. Insisting that this is a new era because Moscow is bent on violating international law may indeed propel the world into a new era. But that would be a choice of our making, not Russia’s.”

Slaughter also credits Russia for its forbearance in not invading the rest of Ukraine (so far), which she says the Soviet Union would have done “at the first sign a pro-Soviet government was in trouble.”

Aslund first sent his reply to Slaughter’s column to Economist editor Edward Lucas, who published it anonymously on his Facebook page. We have reproduced it in full with both Lucas’ and Aslund’s permission:

The last two last major unprovoked annexations in peacetime are Saddam Hussein’s of Kuwait in 1990 and Hitler’s Anschluss of Austria in 1938.

Every argument that this piece makes would defend the Anschluss.

The US did not annex Iraq. it left that country. Parallels with the US invasion of Iraq are inaccurate. Moreover, Bush being wrong on Iraq does not legitimise other military attacks elsewhere ….”

Donna, this is so beautiful.
I must share this with my friend whose lovable smart independent son has defied all medical doctors’ predictions for over 35 years concerning his life.
He is our miracle.
Thank you.

Yes, Bill. The ‘off exchange’ enrollments could be very substantial, as Charles Gaba in particular has predicted. Will not be surprised if on or before the 31st President Obama doesn’t announce that the number of registered is well beyond 7M.

Bill R., and Bobfr: I have put these numbers in this space as well as you and Bobfr. Yes, We Can and Yes, We Must. Helping so many people to find a little more peace in their space. Thank you, President Barack Obama and your entire team.HZ

All true, Donna. Plus, the big hurt is going to come when HHS provides the numbers of all those who have acquired Obamacare coverage “off exchange.” Charles shows the range being at least 558,000 and could be as many as 4 Million. Importantly, whatever the final tally, ALL those folk registered before 31 March 🙂

The Sweet Sweet Smell of Success.
Todays ACA numbers are such a high. America is taking care of its people.
Thank you President Obama for staying the course.
Never giving up.
We love you so much. More original words fail me. Just thank you. We love you.

Nena20409, I just love our Jay Carney. On the job all the time wherever he may be with our President of the United States. Chip, NerdyW., LL, Bobfr, Donna, Zizi, Amk, Tally, Lovelyplains, CarolMae, Jacqueline O’ Yardarm, JER, Vc, Bill R., meta, all of you keep reminding us to enjoy the positive and goodness about our 44th President each day with all of the inspiring, brilliant writings, photos of history, and brilliant and informative positive links to keep our hearts and minds on the great things this president is doing each day.

Thank you TOD family, Thank you. Where would we be without our TOD family to encourage us, lift each other up in a good way; pray and keep our candles lit and meditations moving into good spaces; and crying and laughing together each day? We are so blessed and President Obama appreciates this place so much. Let us keep moving alongside of this wonderful man, our president and beautiful FLOTUS.

I am honored to be accepted and loved by this beautiful TOD family. My brother who is miles and miles away thinks that you all are one force of goodness to be grateful for on this great journey with this great and decent man, our POTUS. And I am proud of my brother’s efforts to help and do his job in an honorable and respectful manner to help our president move FORWARD as well.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ I am crying now, so I better allow this little well aged heart rest for the evening.}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} I love you All so much. {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ My Danny Boy, granny sends you loving hugs.}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}HZ

If you thought the charges against Leland Yee would be bad, you had no idea. As in, he offered to set up an arms deal with Islamic rebels for $2 million in cash. As in, he has ties to a gangster named Shrimp Boy. As in, he makes corrupt state senator Clay Davis from The Wire look like George Washington. You can read the whole affidavit here, but it’s really, really long, so we’ve gone ahead and pulled out the highlights. The allegations (and for now they are only that—allegations) are cinematic, staggering, and remarkable in their scope.

Here they are, in descending order of sheeeeeeeeeeeit:

Yee told an FBI agent to give him a shopping list of guns:
Yee could arrange from some serious firepower:
Yee took personal responsibility for delivering the weapons:
Yee masterminded a complex scheme to import illegal weapons:
Yee had connection with Filipino rebel groups:
Including Muslim terrorists:
In specific the Moro Islamic Liberation Front:
Yee allegedly wasn’t making up the identity of his arms dealer
And, Russian arms dealers:
Yee took envelopes full of cash to influence marijuana policy